October

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, here are some statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s website. Please visit for more information, and to see how you can help, or get help. Please remember, it can happen to anyone…

The Harris Poll 2006

Approximately 8 in 10 (79%) respondents recall “seeing or hearing something” about domestic violence in the past year. Furthermore, 53 percent say that they have heard of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. This percentage increases substantially among those people who admit that they have been victims of domestic violence (71%).

A large majority (85%) agrees that “when a person forces his/her partner to have sex, it is an act of domestic violence.”

An 85% majority also agrees that “a man or woman who abuses his/her partner is more likely to also abuse children.”

Approximately 33 million (1) or 15% of all U.S. adults, admit that they were a victim of domestic violence. Furthermore, 6 in 10 adults claim that they know someone personally who has experienced domestic violence.

Among all adults, 39% say that they have experienced at least one of the following, with 54% saying that they haven’t experienced any:
Called bad names (31%)
Pushing, slapping, choking or hitting (21%)
Public humiliation (19%)
Keeping away from friends or family (13%)
Threatening your family (10%)
Forcing you to have sexual intercourse without consent (9%)

1. Based on July 2005 U.S. Census estimate released January 2006 (223,000,000 total U.S. adults aged 18 or over).